Messi Has Penalty Saved As Iceland Earn First World Cup Point

Lionel Messi had a penalty saved as Argentina were held 1-1 by World Cup newcomers Iceland in an opening Group D game in Moscow on Saturday.

Keeper Hannes Halldorsson parried Messi’s 64th-minute shot to keep out what would have been a sixth Messi goal at his fourth World Cup – his first coming 12 years ago to the day.

Sergio Aguero gave Argentina the lead in the 19th with a well-taken goal on the turn but the two-time world champions conceded just over four minutes later when Alfred Finnbogason finished from close range.

Argentina enjoyed overwhelming possession against the team from the smallest nation to compete in a World Cup finals, but found it difficult fashioning clear chances against a tightly-packed defence.

Croatia and Nigeria play later in the group in Kaliningrad.

Aguero had the vast Argentinian support in the Spartak Stadium cheering when he blocked Marcos Rojo’s shot and turned for a left-footed shot into the roof of the net.

It ended a run of eight World Cup matches without a goal for the Manchester City striker, and followed 341 minutes without a World Cup goal for losing 2014 finalists Argentina.

Iceland needed just over four minutes to respond and celebrate the country’s first-ever World Cup goal.

Argentina keeper Willy Caballero could only parry a low cross from Gylfi Sigurdsson, and Augsburg’s Finnbogason was on hand to stroke the ball in from just outside the six-yard box.

Watched by their playing great Diego Maradona, Argentina patiently kept trying to find a way to break down the Icelandic defence.

Messi, at perhaps his last World Cup, dropped deep to find room, but his attempts at one-twos on the edge of the box were snuffed out by an uncompromising Icelandic side content to limit space in and around the box.

Iceland were not overly concerned by their lack of possession, content to cause their opponents trouble by the simple tactic of knocking balls into the box whenever they could.

They gave Argentina an early warning when Birki Bjarnason drove wide following Cabellero’s poor clearance after the keeper was caught short by a back pass into his six-xard box.

Argentina at the other end had claims for a penalty correctly turned down by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, who saw there was no deliberate hand movement when the ball struck Ragnar Gudmundsson.

Caballero meanwhile had to stretch again to stop a shot from Sigurdsson, and the Everton midfielder volleyed wide to give coach Jorge Sampaoli food for thought as the teams came off at half-time.

The pattern of the game continued after the break, Argentina enjoying the ball and Iceland, the smallest nation to compete in a World Cup finals, leading the statistics for the number of shots and passes blocked.

It looked like a breakthrough for Argentina when Marciniak pointed to the spot after Hordur Magnusson caught Maximimiliano Meza, but Halldorsson dived to his right to thwart Messi’s spot kick.

Substitute Cristian Pavon’s justifiable claims for a penalty were then turned down.

Messi, who never stopped trying to find a way through, curled a shot just wide, while Halldorsson saved from Pavon, and Messi again fired wide as the clock ticked down and Iceland celebrated an historic point with their fans with the celebrated Viking slow hand clap.